Bearing construction for knitting machines



Feb. 3, 1942.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1938 Ill]IHII IIIHllhlli llijllxll illillmlnllil INVENTOR. .firumbacb, (5&5,

ATTOR 2 X 'H u 1, III 1 nhuhu Feb. 3, 1942.

A. L. BRUMBACH BEARING CONSTRUCTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 16, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE--5.

NON-METALLIC MACH/AM 51 MA TZ/P/AL IN V EN TOR. fllvinlhfllgach Feb. .3, 1942. A. L. BRUMBACH BEARING CONSTRUCTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Shet 3 Filed June 16, 1938 INVENTOR: 11 mm Lfirumilaclg.

ATTORNI ll/ H Q/Xf/ a Feb. 3, 1942. A. L. BRUMBACH BEARING CONSTRUCTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 16, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Alvin L firumbaq/g 2 INVENTOR:

TTORN My invention relates to sinker' head and' ot er I knitting machine constructions,- embodying *nonmetallic material of certain characteristics in novel manner, and particularly to constructions of this-naturefor straightfor fulria'shionedknifif ting machines.

It has been customary to constructthe' bear- 12,271,852 I I BEARING coNs'mUonoN FOEKNIITTINGY l Alvin L Bruniliach, ReaJingQPa 3551:1 10! Te til'Machin'e works, lwyomis sing 1 I i-WWW? "Application June 16,1938,-Serial-N 214:3058

; Re ains; (oi. 43 110);

I i 'e in" he atter;

. "mothers Jc ofthe inventin isto provi e -a1; non-metallic bearing unit for application a standardjknltt in linemen-tweeter the invention an insert unit, or assernply ior knitt L chines} in {which the insert andfitsf suppbr andcunsuited to thepurpose's oftheinvention.

ing'andiguiding'portions for" sinkers," dividers, backing structurfiiare held or locked togethe and other. knitting:machine 'elements"entirely of :as agaiiarmovemem "relative-to each other metaL I l "10 the direction or movement of another. ele Althoughavailable for-"a lo'ng timepthelonly movably e'n'gagin'g theinsert.- known use ofnon-metallie'material, of thec'haracteristics herein set forth; -inknitting' machines; has been in the form' of impact elementsj otherf non-metallic elements; 1 such "as j dampers, brakes or friction eliminators, l and the well' known fri'c' tion box, shoepads, having beenof material of different/character from f the' materialhereof,

Alsofit has heretofore been suggested to employ a bearing insert 1 in a sinkerhead,;-'butthis suggestion only; contemplates the insertion of one metal member; att'alocal"positioni within" another"metalxmember';to"obtain-better wearingproperties; the possibility and operability many non-metallic material as "a main guide or bearing for;e1ements,rsuch as" the sinkers'*and *dividers, or other elements of a'knitting m'achine,

never having beensuggestedr. 1. 1 v

I haveidiscovered that certain non-metalhc-Q materials I of readily-machinable I character,--not only have the advantages of suchm'achinability; but also .embody higher we'a'r"resistance-{ and more enduring accuracy of fitfor the sinkers j and dividers, of ,aknitting'machine'," than any A'fiirtherobject otfthe all-metal sinker, head structureof; wmh-1:. am vide'a device orjfmeaww aware, They a1s0;are; adapted :to form :pres'ser" edges, and are adapted -,-in other" ways Ito Cfo'rm stationary orv movable bearing structure mem- I bers for relatively movable engagement "with" :thin' hard wmetal parts having? reciprocatory move ment "relatives.thereto gwherejromwa grooving- I action woulginaturally beexpeqteci.g 1}

iabi tiot e, nVenti0/ .."1-is+therefore to' utilize this discovery, toc the; betterment 'ofwthe knitting n achine art,-and;toydoso. in an expedi tious manner, Another object vofithe' invention is to in'crease the life ,ofkn tting machine elements. a l

} hereinai'terinore articularly I f"d mg v Figure 18' a it ob plain view of a Another object of the invention/is to pro ide" renewable inserts 1' for members f knitting mach'ines, wherebyto render it- -unnecessary :tofdis card certain larger corresponding to-'mem-- bers of the "invention having the; inserts,but-;-- ture forming pai't of 'ii w full fashioned knitting machine;

heretofore'not having them.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention, showing a sinker bed cover insert-receiving element in dot-and-dash lines, and an insert element molded thereto;

Fig, 7 is a perspective view of a sinker bed unit according to the form of the invention of Fig. 6, showing a non-metallic sinker guide insert molded to a metal receiving element therefor;

Fig. 8 is a view of the structure of, and as viewed in, Fig. 7 taken in section along the line Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a further form of the invention, showing a sinker bed cover unit constructed entirely of non-metallic material; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a sinker bed unit constructed entirely of non-metallic material according to the form of the invention of Fig. 9.

In the drawings and description, only those parts necessary to a complete understanding of the invention have been set forth; further information as to the construction andoperation of other elements not herein specifically pointed out, but which are usualand .wellknown, being available in the pamphlet entitled Full Fashioned Knitting Machines, copyright 1920, and in the Reading Full Fashioned Knitting Machine Catalogues, copyright 1929 and 1935, published by the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsyl vam'a, and in a pamphlet entitled Knitting Machine Lectures, published in 1935 by the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

Certain parts of full-fashioned knitting machines are subjected to grooving wear from thin hard ferrous parts such as sinkers, dividers and needles, and must withstand such wear with only the aid of such moisture and light oil as reaches them from the yarn and the needles, respectively.

Such parts wear the bottoms of ,the grooves and the presser edges of the sinker-heads. These wearing and fitting surfaces must not only be machined within close tolerances, but they must wear a considerable time without being replaced in order to keep within a permissible upkeep cost. Heretofore, hard metal has been the material used for the sinkerheads of full-fashioned knitting machines, but it not only has exhibited an undesirable rate of wear, but has often worn the beards of the needles undesirably. I have discovered that certain moldable, synthetic resinous substances having no natural grain are not only accurately machinable to the extent required in making sinker-heads, but withstand the wear of the moving part with which they are in grooving contact, while reducing the wear on said part to a degree making said substances commercially superior to metal for serving in contact with said thin ferrous parts.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a sinker head assembly S embodying the invention; Fig. 2 showing this structure in co-.

operative relation to a needle bar assembly N, and a knockover bit assembly K, each constituting a part of a multi-section full fashioned knitting machine, as set forth in the abovementioned catalogues, except for the improvements in the sinker head herein set forth.

The needle bar assembly N comprises a needle bar 1, a needle bed 8, needles 9, a yieldable needle-clamping strip 12, as of paper, and clamps 14 held to the bar 1, as by screws 15.

The knockover bit assembly K comprises a knockover bit bed l1, knockover bits i8, and a knockover bit clamp IS.

The sinker head assembly S, which is mounted on a center bed 22 of the machine, comprises, in the structure illustrated, a sinker bed backing member or base 23 for a sinker bed insert 24, sinkers 21, dividers 28, a. sinker head cover backing member 28, sinker head cover insert 32, and a verge plate 33.

The sinker bed backing member 23 has apertured lugs 31 through which screws (not shown) grtend to secure the member 23 to the center bed The sinker bed cover backing member 29 is mounted in superposed spaced relation to the member 23 by spacers 38 (Fig. 3), screws 39, and spacer bolts.

The sinker bed backing member 23 is, in the present instance, composed of metal having a hollowed out top portion or face for the reception of the insert 24, which is of accurately-machinable or formable non-metallic material, such 1 as, phenolic, condensation products of the type of plastics widely sold under the trade names of bakelite, textolitef' synthane et cetera, which are accurately-machinable substances of wear resistant, and hard, or distortion opposing, characterisitcs. Methods of making said bakelite and like products are well known in the trade. .Depending portions 42 and 43 (Figs. 2 and 5), of the insert 24, hold or look the insert against displacemenanrelative to the. backing member 23, in the direction of the forward and backward movement of the sinkers 21 and the dividers 28.

Also, at the front end of the insert 24, the latter is extended forwardly and upwardly to form a presser edge 44 the function of which is, as is 1 well known, to engage the beards of the needles on-the down stroke. of the needles to close the beards by pressing their ends into the grooves in the upper portions of the needle bodies.

After the underside surfaces of the insert 24 have been accurately machined, for close precision fitytQ the cooperating similarly machined surfaces of the backing member 23,- the members 23 and 24 are secured to each other, as by screws 41 that are disposed partially in apertures 48 in themember 23, and partially in countersunk openings 45 in the insert 24. I

Withthe backing'membe'r 23 and the insert 24 thus assembled, they are then machined and finished, the same as though they'were of one integral metal piece, to form sinker and divider grooves 52, and to have them of proper shape and dimension in every other particular. The cover backing member 29, and the cover insert 32, are made, fitted, assembled and finished similarly to the members 23 and 24, to form sinker and divider grooves 55. l

The sinker-heads and sinker-head covers of full-fashioned knitting machines, as is well known, have a sinker or divider mounted in alinement with the gap between each pair of needles.

Also, the number of the gauge of a full-fashioned knitting machine is equal to the number of needles in one and a half inches. Assuming be machined from a blockofthematerial, .or

thereforefthat a sinker-head assembly S for a 39 gauge machine is shown in the drawings, the

grooves 52 and 55 in the inserts 24 and 32 respectively are machined in the resin twenty-six per inch. For the now more. popular higher plate-like intermediate section 56 to fit between a sinker and a divider. Also, since, in this position, they must not turn, the bolts 40 are each provided with square-section portions 6lljfitting square openings 63 and in the inserts 32 and 24, and the backing members 23 and 29,,respectively. Disk like heads 65 of the bolts40 are held against the members 23 by nuts 66.

At its rear edge, the insert element 32 has an inclined bearing surface portion 53 forfan impact reducing portion'54 of the verge plate 33 having an impact insert 51 which may also be. constructed of material-similar to the material-' of the inserts 24 and 32. The major portion of on the backing member 29, but the portion 54,

having some impact movement when engaged by the sinkers and dividers, is mounted for such movement on the bearing portion 53 of the insert 32. which guide the sinkers and dividers, are secured to each other byscrews 58, in openings 59 of the insert with a ledge 62 on the insert (Figs. 2; and

4) engaging an'edge' 63 of the backing member.

In the'form of the invention illustrated in Fig.

6, an insert element 61, shown'in full lines and constructed of the non-metallic material above set forth, is molded to a metal insert-receiving backing member 68, shown in dot-and-dash lines.

molded. to. its general shape,, and subsequently finished to provide sinker and divider grooves 84, and other features, i

'As shown in Fig. 10, a sinker bed unit 81. is constructed entirelyof-one homogeneous mass of non-metallic material,,; except -forseparately fother features.

formed bearingmembers 88,.similar to'the members 19 above. set forth, for attachment to depending portions 89, similar. to the portions 18, by screws" 90. This structure is likewise .molded to its general shape, and subsequently machine finished'to exact form to provide-itwith sinker and divider grooves 9 I, a. presser, edge 92, and

The sinkers and dividers of the Reading -fullfashionedknitting machine areof Swedish steel, or of as nearly equivalent materialas maybe obtainable, cold rolled to a;tl1 inness.of .007, for the '39 gauge machine, the machines of higher-gauge .having' sinkers and dividers thinner than;.007.

. seepage 177 of the parts catalogue offThe Reading Full-Fashioned Knitting. Machine of January 1929. Thediameter ofthe needles of a machine ofa given gauge at the points atlwhich they drag agains'tthe presser edge is. somewhat I greaterthanthe-v thickness ofthe sinkers and dithe verge plate 33 is in rigid stationary position The backing member 29and the insert 32,

The latter is provided with dove-tail grooves on its surface next to the insert element 61, such that when the latter is moldedin position, ridges 69 are formed in, and coact with, the grooves in the element 61 as anchorage means for holding the elements 61 and 68 together.

The sinker bed cover assembly of Fig. 6, is first formed to its general shape, and subsequently accurately machine finished as one piece and provided with sinker and divider grooves 12.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, a sinker bed unit is formed similarly to the sinker bed cover unit of Fig. 6, by having an insert-receiving base 13 of metal, and an insert 14 of non-metallic material, as set forth; the insert, in this instance also,'having ridges 11. dove-tailed into grooves in the receiving member to hold the elements together.

, Depending integral bearing portions 18 and separate cooperating bearing elements 19,,of nonmetallic or metallic material, secured to the por- .tions I8 by screws 82 adapt the assembly as a bed cover unit 83 is similar in shape tothe assembly of Fig. 6, but is constructed entirely of the aforementioned. non-metallic material which may be reinforced, or of a solid homogeneous mass, as illustrated. In this form also, the unit may vider's foramachfine of thegiven gauge, the diameter of theneedle beardof a needle for a thirty-nine gauge knitting machine'being quite approximately .01 0"; Being round; .ho wever, the

treated carbon steelmaterial are very hard-and the needle beards are also hardbecause theyare of steel initiallyquenched from a red heat and the hardness drawn onlyenoughlto enable them to withstand the repeated-flexing to whichthey are subjected. The sinkerhead material therefore must withstandfor'long periods a grooving action from very thinand hard metal'which, although not associated with much pressure, is repeated almost an incalculable. number of-times within the expected commercial life of thesinkerhead. Experience has shown that not only does the synthetic resin show a less rate of wear in a sinker-head than the hard metal which, it has been the custom to use for sinker-heads, but it also causes a less rate of wear on the sinkers,

dividers and needle beards which slide against it in use. Wear on the sinkers and dividers assists wear on the sinker-head in causing looseness and consequent unevenness of the knitted loops while wear on the needle beards causes snagging and nicking of the yarn with consequent tendency to weaken the-yarn and'the fabric.

The arrangements illustrated provide accurate, efiective/substitutes for the old metal parts which they supplant, and although they wear better and longer before reaching a stage at which such metal parts would be discarded, they do not require any such discard even after the longer weatrg but only the renewal of the non-metallic par Of course, the improvements specifically shown and described by which I obtain the above results, can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention here- 'in disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an element formed essentially of hard machinable resinous phenolic condensation material, of a plurality of hard ferrous metal parts each having groove wearing contact therewith along a surface not over .007

inch in width.

2. A knitting machine sinker-head comprising a portion essentially of hard machinable synthetic phenolic condensation material arranged to provide support for the lower edges of hard ferrous reciprocable sinkers and dividers in sliding contact therewith, said edges having a thickness of not ni'ore than .007 inch and said'portion arranged also to contact the hard beards offlferrous needles during'their down stroke topress said-beards into the needle grooves, said beards having a bearing surface not substantially wider than .007 inch at the points of contact with said portion, whereby said sinkers, dividers and needle beards all have a grooving action on said material.

3. The combination of a sinker-head of a fullfashicned knitting machine comprising a stationary portion composed essentially of hard machinable synthetic Bakelite resin material having accurately machined closely arranged slots therein, of hard ferrous sinkers, dividers and needles, said portion providing support for the lower edges of said sinkers and dividers during their back and forth movement and having a surface for contacting the beards oftheneedles during their down stroke, the sinkers, dividers and needles having widths of not more than .007 inch where in contact with said portion;

4. A sinker-head for a knitting machine'comprising a portion composed essentially of a hard machinable resinous phenol-formaldehyde condensation material having not less than twentysix accurately machined slots therein per inch for providing support for the lower edges of reciprocable sinkers and dividers, said material having the characteristics that it outwears hard metal and, at the same time, produces less wear on said parts than said hard metal.

5. The combination of an element formed essentially of hard machinable resinous material of Bakelite type of phenolic condensation product, a plurality of hard ferrous metal parts having frequent sliding contact therewith along a bearing edge having a thickness of not over .007 inch, said material having the characteristics that it outwears hard metal and, at the same time, produces less wear'on said parts than said hard metal.

6. A sinker-head comprising a portion formed essentially of hard machinable synthetic Bakelite type of phenolic condensation'material arranged to provide support for the lower edges of hard ferrous reciprocable sinkers and dividers in sliding contact therewith, said edges having a thickness of not more than .007 inch, said portion arranged also to contact the hard beards of ferrous needles during their down stroke to press said beards into the needle grooves, said beards being of a diameter not substantially greater than .007 inch at the points of contact with said portion, said material having the characteristics that it outwears hard metal and at the same timeproduces less wear on said sinkers, dividers and needles than said hard metal.

'7. The combination of a-sinker-head of a fullfashioned knitting machine comprising a stationary portion composed essentially of a hard machinable resinous synthetic Bakelite material having accurately machined closely arranged slots therein, 'of hard ferrous sinkers, dividers and needles, said portion providing support for the lower edges of said sinkers and dividers during their back and forth movement and having a I surface for contactingthe beards of the needles 

